Collecting 101: Space

Imagine collecting life-size busts or statues and you live in a granny flat... It just ain't gonna work. There is a huge amount of collectible statues and figures out in the world and in many different scales. Consider the space that you have and how you'd like to display your collection in that space first. Trust me, one collectible won't make a difference, but after years of collecting you're going to have to make the decision between more space or cutting down on your collection.

Here are a few things you'll need to consider in regards to the space that you have available. 

SCALES:

Statues and figurines come in loads of shapes and sizes to accommodate every kind of collector and budget. The sizes of these figures and statues are all relative to the actual size of the character it represents, that being in the form of 1 is to 1 or (1:1)

So if the character is 2 metres tall (1:1), then a 1:6 scale figure or statue will measure around 33cm tall. This will obviously exclude any extra accessories and the size of the base if there is one. 

The most popular scales are 1:10, 1:6, 1:4 and 1:3. Other scales such as 1:20, 1:5, 1:2 and 1:1 also exist but are not as common. Another scale called non-scale exists where characters of enormous scale need to be represented, but are still too big at even the smallest scale of 1:20. Some of these characters are Godzilla, King Kong, Transformers, Jagers from Pacific Rim or even Galactus from Marvel. 

The larger the scale, the more detailed the figure or statue will get but some studios have mastered the art of intricate detail on some of the smaller scales while others can't even get it right on 1:4 scale pieces. I won't mention any Studio names here, but that's a topic for another day. 

Before you decide which scale to collect, consider your space available and how you want to display your collection. Mixing scales may also look a bit odd, but hey, it's all up to you. 

DISPLAY:

When your collection starts gaining momentum, you're going to want to proudly display it and you're going to want to do it properly. I mean you could put your Collectibles on the floor or on that super old dresser table that needs more TLC than the Marvel's Avengers video game. 

When displaying your pieces, make sure that your display can accommodate their dimensions as well as their weights. You definitely do not want to put 20 kilograms worth of collectibles on a glass shelf or a very old wooden cupboard that looks like it's beginning to rot. 

BROWN SHIPPER AND ART BOXES:

In most cases, your statue or figure will come packed in layers of protection. This being a polystyrene or plastic inlay that houses your collectible, which is then stored in an art box which is then in turn stored in a brown shipper box. 

Once you've unpacked your collectible and put it proudly on display, you're just going to have a random box lying around. NEVER  EVER throw these boxes away. They may seems useless and a waste of space but they are vital to the protection during transport of your collectible. 

Trust me, if you ever move or want to sell your collectible, these boxes are a must. They were specifically designed with the sole purpose of protecting your collectible during transport and losing these boxes will be a logistical nightmare and will directly affect the value of your collectible as well. 

The bigger the collectible, the bigger the box. This is a storage nightmare and unless you have a spare room or a garage that no one ever uses, they will take up a ton of space and you may even have to consider renting a storage unit to keep them in the larger your collection gets. 

We could all do with more and more space and the truth is we'll probably never have enough in a hobby that keeps on pumping out amazing collectibles that just keep getting bigger and bigger. Whatever scale you decide to collect and however you decide to display them is up to you, but I hope that this advice made it a slightly easier choice for you.